Afterthoughts

I'm not an expert on volleyball, but I've seen or called most of the Melrose postseason games over the past decade. Comparing one team with another or one player with another accomplishes little, but every player and team establishes its legacy. Memories linger because of great or small performances, and the magnitude of achievement within the moment.

Everyone contributed mightily but here are my observations.

1. A come-from-behind victory against a terrific team that propels a team into the state championship moves to the top spot of signature games in Melrose volleyball history. 
2. Coach Scott Celli may not get another Division 2 Coach of the Year Award this season, but he might have earned it last evening with patience when the team struggled, and flexibility to substitute to go offense-defense in crunch time. 
3. With Longmeadow blocking well, Brooke Bell backed the sets off the net that confounded the blockers.
4. Establish the pass with the run. Sarah McGowan coped with some blocks early, but her willingness to hit demanded blockers' attention, leading to opportunities for the short game later. 
5. The serve can be a potent weapon, as both teams proved last night. Alyssa DiRaffaele's service run to begin the fifth provided a critical edge. 
6. Gut check (Part I). The team rallied from behind in set four, trailing two sets to one and played more aggressively to get back into the match. 
7. Gut check (Part II). In a long match, the athletic Melrose team showed a lot of stamina. Particularly noteworthy is Rachel Johnson, who returned from significant illness to go the distance. 
8. Seventh player award goes to the Melrose crowd, which represented at least two-thirds in attendance and made the extended trip on a school night to support the team. 
9. Melrose kept the 'four E's'. They had energy, energized each other, had the edge (discipline) when the going got tough, and executed in the big moments. 
10. Unsung heroines? Kayla Wyland and Sydney Doherty split the award by bringing extra attack wins from the opposite position, although Sydney got the point of the game from the strong side.